Kirsten Westlake and Barbara Chewing

A “BABY bank” that takes a new referral every 45 seconds from parents in desperate need of clothes, cots and pushchairs has a new Euston base to help deal with the demand.

The Little Village charity celebrated moving into new premises in Hampstead Road – in a unit donated rent-free for five years by property owners British Land.

The Regent’s Place space includes a shop front and upper floors for sorting and storage. The charity had been based at the Somers Town Community Centre for five years but had to pack away each night to free the centre’s hall up for other uses.

Hub manager Elizabeth Knowles told the New Journal how their new headquarters would help them meet the needs of the many families struggling.

She said: “The location is terrific and we get a lot of passing traffic. Lots of people stop by and ask what we do. Our exposure is much better.”

The extra room means volunteers can be more reactive – and more sensitive – to the needs of parents who come in for help. The new hub works like a shop, with families able to browse and choose items they would like.

While food banks have become a well established response to poverty and the cost of living crisis, the charity began when it became clear that people could not afford the basics for their children.

And the help they have provided is wide. They have passed on over 500,000 items in Camden,  and demand is extraordinary. Volunteers estimate they receive one referral from a school, the council, a social worker or midwife every 45 seconds.

Ms Knowles said: “The families are much more at ease. We have been able to take some of the formality out. That is a big thing – sometimes it is hard to get people to come in through the door because they are nervous or there is stigma. They go away so happy.”

Elizabeth Knowles with volunteers Yohann Pirbay, Alice Selway-Clarke and Emilie Stone

Little Village started in 2017 by university friends  Kirsten Westlake and Sophie Parker.

Ms Parker had become a parent and was concerned about what she should do with clothes and toys her children had grown out of but were still perfectly useable. The charity means families can pass on their pre-loved clothes, helping those hit by the cost of living crisis, and recycle things that might otherwise have found their way to a landfill.

Ms Westlake said: “We have seen down the years that families who need support can be working with two parents in full- time jobs. It can be people down on their luck. People who have been unwell, only able to work part- time, people who have moved here as refugees. It is a range. “It has grown and grown because of the demand. The values of Little Village are solidarity and sustainability – and trying to make sure our interaction embodies those values.”

Little Village runs outreach programmes, visiting hostels and hotels, and organised special packages for Afghan and Ukrainian refugees arriving in Camden. They also have links to organisations including Care For Calais.

Little Village’s new base in Euston

British Land’s sustainabilty chief Anna Devlet said: “Little Village’s work to support families across Camden is incredibly important and we are proud to provide affordable space at Regent’s Place to help facilitate their service within our community.

“British Land provides affordable space to community organisations and enterprises like Little ­Village to help create lasting social impact in the areas we operate in, helping us deliver Thriving Places, a key pillar of our 2030 ­Sustainability strategy: Greener Spaces, Thriving Places, Responsible Choices.”